Electrical connector

Abstract

An electrical connector comprises a substrate, a datum reference position, a first plurality of intermediary members, and a first plurality of contact members. Each contact member has first and second arms extending away from a base towards opposite side surfaces to form a letter V with an opening facing the datum reference position. A connector array comprises one or more of the electrical connectors. A testing apparatus comprises a tester base, a supporting member, a frame, one or more of the connector arrays, and an upper cover.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An electrical connector comprising:
 a substrate made of an insulating material, the substrate having a front surface extending along a first direction between a first end and a second end and having opposing first and second side surfaces in a direction perpendicular to the first direction, the substrate having a datum reference position centrally positioned on the substrate; 
 a first plurality of intermediary members attached to the front surface of the substrate, the first plurality of intermediary members being made of a first conductive material, the first plurality of intermediary members being aligned along the first direction between the first end and the datum reference position; 
 a first plurality of contact members attached to the first plurality of intermediary members, the first plurality of contact members being made of a second conductive material, the first plurality of contact members being aligned along the first direction between the first end and the datum reference position; 
 
       wherein each of the first plurality of contact members comprises a first base; 
       a first arm extending away from the first base towards the first side surface; 
       a second arm extending away from the first base towards the second side surface, opposite the first side surface, wherein the first arm and the second arm of each contact member forming a letter V shape on the front surface of the substrate with an opening of the letter V facing the datum reference position, 
       wherein each of the first arm and second arm comprises
 a slender portion; and an end portion; 
 
       wherein a length of the slender portion is larger than a length of the end portion; wherein a width of the slender portion is smaller than a width of the end portion. 
     
     
       2. The electrical connector of  claim 1 , wherein the slender portion is of a first circular arc shape;
 wherein a radius of the first circular arc shape is in a range between one times to ten times of a width of the substrate; 
 wherein a portion of the end portion is of a second circular arc shape; and wherein the radius of the first circular arc shape is in a range between five times to twenty-five times of a radius of the second circular arc shape. 
 
     
     
       3. The electrical connector of  claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of intermediary members are directly attached to the front surface of the substrate; and
 wherein a pitch between a selected intermediary member of the first plurality of intermediary members and an adjacent intermediary member of the first plurality of intermediary members is in a range from one hundred microns to one thousand microns. 
 
     
     
       4. The electrical connector of  claim 1 , further comprising a
 first electrical terminal attached to the first end of the substrate, wherein the first electrical terminal is made of a third conductive material; and wherein a selected contact member of the first plurality of contact members is electrically and mechanically connected to the first electrical terminal through a via and a trace. 
 
     
     
       5. The electrical connector of  claim 4 , wherein the first plurality of contact members extend outwardly from the first side surface of the substrate to form a top surface that is co-planar; and
 wherein the first plurality of contact members extend outwardly from the second side surface of the substrate to form a bottom surface that is co-planar. 
 
     
     
       6. The electrical connector of  claim 5 , wherein the electrical connector is symmetric with respect to a centerline of the electrical connector;
 wherein the centerline is parallel to the first direction. 
 
     
     
       7. The electrical connector of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second plurality of intermediary members attached to the substrate, the second plurality of intermediary members being made of the first conductive material, the second plurality of intermediary members being aligned along the first direction between the second end and the datum reference position; and 
 a second plurality of contact members attached to the second plurality of intermediary members, the second plurality of contact members being made of the second conductive material, the second plurality of contact members being aligned along the first direction between the second end and the datum reference position; 
 wherein each of the second plurality of contact members comprises
 a second base; 
 a third arm extending away from the second base towards the first side surface; and 
 a fourth arm extending away from the second base towards the second side surface, opposite the first side surface, wherein the third arm and the fourth arm of each contact member forming the letter V shape on the front surface of the substrate with the opening of the letter V facing the datum reference position; 
 
 wherein the electrical connector is symmetric with respect to a symmetric line of the electrical connector, the symmetric line being perpendicular to the first direction passing through a centroid of the datum reference position. 
 
     
     
       8. A connector array comprising two or more of the electrical connectors of  claim 6 , the connector array including:
 a first electrical connector; and 
 a second electrical connector; 
 wherein the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector are separated by a dielectric substrate. 
 
     
     
       9. An electrical connector, comprising:
 a substrate extending along a longitudinal axis and having two lateral sides spaced apart from and parallel to each other along said longitudinal axis, said substrate being made of an insulating material; 
 a datum reference position that is centrally positioned on said substrate; and 
 a plurality of contact members that are positioned on said substrate and that are arranged spaced apart from one another along said longitudinal axis, each of said contact members being made of an electrically conductive material, and having a base portion, and two arm portions that extend oppositely from said base portion away from said longitudinal axis and that are located outwardly of said respective lateral sides of said substrate, said arm portions of said contact members inclinedly extending towards said datum reference position and being deformable towards said substrate. 
 
     
     
       10. The electrical connector of  claim 9 , further comprising two electrical terminals respectively formed on two opposite ends of said substrate, each of said two electrical terminals being made of an electrically conductive material. 
     
     
       11. The electrical connector of  claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of intermediary members formed between said contact members and said substrate such that said contact members are spaced apart from said substrate by a distance, said plurality of intermediary members being made of an electrically conductive material. 
     
     
       12. The electrical connector of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of contact members have arm portions extending from respective base portions, and the arm portions of the plurality of contact members extend from the respective base portions to form a front surface that is co-planar. 
     
     
       13. The electrical connector of  claim 10 , wherein a first contact member of the plurality of contact members is electrically and mechanically connected to one of the electrical terminals through a via and a conductive trace. 
     
     
       14. The electrical connector of  claim 11 , wherein a pitch between a selected intermediary member of the plurality of intermediary members and an adjacent intermediary member of the plurality of intermediary members is in a range from one hundred microns to one thousand microns.